Floating offshore wind power could be Wales’ 21st century version of the steel, coal and slate industries if a “hard line” is taken with the Crown Estate, ministers have heard.

MPs called on the Government to ensure past mistakes with offshore wind projects are not repeated, and to guarantee new turbines off the Welsh coast are made by UK-based companies.

Labour MP for Aberavon Stephen Kinnock told the House of Commons that floating offshore wind is a “genuine game-changer for the south Wales economy and the labour market” and represents a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform Aberavon and south Wales and turn us into a green power superpower”.

He told MPs: “Wales was the cradle of the first industrial revolution, now let’s make it the cradle of the green industrial revolution.”

Photo: Nicholas Doherty

Former Welsh secretary Stephen Crabb earlier said: “What we can do with this new industry is not repeat the mistakes of the past.

“If we do this right we can create new domestic opportunities, we can create genuine supply chains here in the UK and in Wales and really see this new industry centred around ports like Port Talbot, Milford Haven.

“That is the prize in front of us that is worth capturing. Big industrial economic opportunities don’t come along that often in Wales. We have one now and we should seize it.”

Intervening, Mr Kinnock said: “Just on this point about ensuring that we capture the benefits in Wales, does he agree with me that a very hard line should be taken with the Crown Estate to ensure that when the leasing is done for the seabed it contains very clear conditionality on the developer to ensure that the manufacturing, the supply chain, the jobs, the skills, stays in Wales so we do not make the tremendous mistakes, awful mistakes, that have been made in the past when we have allowed all of those supply chains to go overseas?”

Mr Crabb, who chairs the Welsh affairs committee, replied: “The way that I would describe it is we need to achieve alignment between the Crown Estate’s leasing auctions and the UK Government, the Treasury’s contracts for difference process, and the commitments that developers are making.

“He is exactly right, we do need to hold the feet to the fire, whether it is the developers, or the Crown Estate.